13 Ways To Reduce Inflammation In Your Body Naturally
Chronic inflammation can have serious, negative health consequences, so it’s important to adopt healthy lifestyle habits that keep chronic inflammation at bay. Today we’re here to talk about 13 ways to reduce inflammation in your body naturally.
Inflammation is a useful tool in your body’s fight against pathogens, disease, and injury. When inflammation arises at the correct time, it is beneficial. However, chronic inflammation, which can be caused by bad lifestyle habits, can have severe negative health implications.
As well as discussing key ways to reduce inflammation in your body naturally, we’re also here to answer several crucial questions about inflammation, such as… What causes inflammation? Why can inflammation be bad? What are the foods that fight inflammation? What is the fastest way to reduce inflammation naturally? And what is the most powerful natural anti-inflammatory?
Let’s dive in.
What Is Inflammation?
Inflammation occurs to protect and heal the body. The immune system causes inflammation to happen when it recognizes harmful pathogens or an injury. Inflammation is the beginning of the body’s natural healing process.
Inflammation can be either acute or chronic. Chronic inflammation can be triggered by unhealthy lifestyle choices and can lead to disease.
What Causes Chronic Inflammation?
Chronic inflammation in the body can have a number of causes. The most common causes of inflammation are:
- Obesity
- Excessive consumption of alcohol
- Over-exercise or under-exercise
- Chronic stress
- Smoking
- Autoimmune disorders
- Exposure to toxins
- Untreated acute inflammation (such as from an injury or infection)
Why Can Inflammation Be Bad?
Chronic inflammation can have a wide range of negative effects on the body. Chronic inflammation can:
- Damage healthy cells, tissues, and organs
- Cause internal scarring
- Cause the death of tissue
- Damage the DNA in cells
Image by Nataliya Vaitkevich on Pexels: What is the most powerful natural anti-inflammatory?
Chronic inflammation can lead to the development of several disabling and potentially life-threatening diseases, such as:
- Autoimmune diseases (such as rheumatoid arthritis)
- Certain types of cancer
- Cardiovascular diseases (such as heart disease)
- Gastrointestinal disorders (such as inflammatory bowel disease)
- Lung diseases (such as asthma)
- Mental illnesses (such as depression)
- Metabolic diseases (such as Type 2 diabetes)
- Neurodegenerative diseases (such as Parkinson’s disease)
What Stops Inflammation Naturally?
There are several lifestyle changes you can make that will help to reduce or prevent inflammation naturally. These lifestyle changes include:
- Improving your diet
- Drinking more water
- Drinking less alcohol
- Getting better sleep
- Doing yoga
- Meditating to reduce stress
- Intermittent fasting
What Is The Fastest Way To Reduce Inflammation Naturally?
The fastest way to reduce inflammation naturally is to implement a lifestyle that incorporates healthy anti-inflammatory habits and excludes habits that tend to cause inflammation.
What Is The Most Powerful Natural Anti-Inflammatory?
The most powerful natural anti-inflammatory for you will depend on your current circumstances and what actions your body tends to find most pro-inflammatory.
For an obese person, the most powerful anti-inflammatory is likely to be losing weight. For a person with wheat allergies, the most powerful anti-inflammatory is likely to be cutting wheat out of their diet. There is no “one size fits all” best anti-inflammatory – trial and error and discernment are essential.
Reduce Inflammation In Your Body Naturally
Here are 13 top ways to reduce inflammation in your body naturally.
1. Lose Weight
Research shows that obesity causes chronic inflammation. Eating a healthy diet, not consuming too many calories, and doing plenty of cardiovascular exercise will bring body weight into a healthy range. Being a healthy weight is one of the best ways to reduce chronic inflammation.
2. Exercise Regularly
Research suggests that regular exercise reduces inflammatory markers and increases anti-inflammatory substances in the body.
3. Get Enough High-Quality Sleep
Research suggests that inadequate sleep increases markers of inflammation, such as cytokines, interleukin-6, and C-reactive protein.
4. Quit Smoking
Research suggests smoking increases chronic inflammation by causing an accumulation of inflammation-promoting bacteria, such as Bacteroides, Lachnospira, and Ruminococcus, in the gut.
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5. Eat Foods That Fight Inflammation
Certain foods and food groups have been shown to reduce chronic inflammation. Regularly eating these healthy foods will reduce inflammation in your body naturally.
The following foods are especially effective at reducing chronic inflammation:
6. Avoid Foods That Cause Inflammation
Several foods have been shown to cause chronic inflammation in the body. You can reduce inflammation by avoiding these foods.
Four types of food that can cause inflammation are:
- Sugar and high fructose corn syrup
- Refined carbohydrates
- Meats cooked at high temperatures
- Fried foods
7. Implement Intermittent Fasting
Periods of fasting have been shown to reduce system inflammation. There are several intermittent fasting protocols you can experiment with, such as 16/8, OMAD (one meal a day), and the warrior diet.
8. Reduce Alcohol Intake
Research suggests alcohol consumption increases levels of C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation.
9. Manage Stress
Research suggests that chronic stress causes inflammation. Therefore, reducing stress levels will reduce inflammation in your body. Methods to reduce chronic stress include:
- Meditation
- Exercise
- Therapy
- Journalling
- Having a pet
10. Drink Green Tea
Research suggests that green tea contains catechins that are effective at reducing chronic inflammation in the body.
11. Get A Massage
Massage can lower the levels of cortisol in your body. This can reduce the production of inflammatory cytokines and lower levels of chronic inflammation.
12. Take Up Yoga
Research suggests that yoga can be highly effective at reducing chronic inflammation. Implementing a yoga routine can be a great way to reduce inflammation in your body naturally.
13. Take Anti-Inflammatory Supplements
Several supplements have been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties. Here are six supplements to reduce inflammation in the body:
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